Your Gut is Talking to Your Brain!

The Connection Between the Gut and the Brain

Yes, you read that right! There is indeed a “Gut-Brain Connection” and I am thrilled that we are now realizing this, talking about and acting on it! Many like-minded physicians and wellness experts, such as Dr. Chris Kresser, Dr. Joseph Mercola and Dr. Datis Kharrazian, are all talking about it! And since gut health is one of my focuses, you better believe I am talking about it too! I was featured on a podcast about this topic so be sure to listen to the podcast HERE!

Here’s a tiny summary on this topic:

The Gut’s Influence on Mood

In a UCLA study sighted by Dr. Mercola HERE, patients reference [Gut-Brain-Connection-250x400] d having issues like anxiety, depression, and other mood disorders only AFTER they started having issues with their gut.

Probiotics might be beneficial for coping with stress! Another study shows the results of 18-35 year-old women who had their brain activity measured after being shown pictures of angry/frightened individuals. The group given a probiotic-rich yogurt every day was found to have less brain activity in regions associated with stress versus a placebo and control group.

Please note: I do not recommend store bought, pasteurized yogurt. If youchoose to source probiotics from dairy, consider sourcing 100% pastured and raw dairy and introducing it slowly! (If you need help sourcing raw dairy in your area, be sure to reach out to your local Weston A. Price Foundation chapter leader HERE. If you are in my area in Howard County, MD, be sure to contact me to inquire!) Also, you could consider to start slowly adding good bacteria from fermented vegetables like fermented cabbage (sauerkraut), fermented kimchi, and pickles (fermented cucumbers)! These fermented vegetables are actually also very easy to make yourself and they are tasty additions to meals! You can watch my 90-minute full demonstration video, showing you exactly how to ferment vegetables HERE!

The Gut’s Influence on the Brain

There is much evidence that supports the claim that the gut actually “talks” to the brain, via the vagus nerve (shown in the image above), far more than the brain “talks” to the gut.

Did you know there are more of the protein receptors that send messages, or neurotransmitters, in the GUT and not the brain?!

The Gut’s Influence on Health

Some scientists believe that good bacteria in your gut can “train the immune system” to attack the “bad guys” that come in and disrupt the ecosystem balance in the gut. When there’s a gut bacteria imbalance, illness and disease can result.

There are also beliefs that gene expression is influenced by what strains of flora you have living in your gut during development and infancy!

The Gut’s Influence on Disease

Studies have shown that the microbiome in lean individuals is vastly different than those of obese people.

Type II diabetics also have different strains of bacteria in their gut than healthy individuals.

Gut bacterial imbalance can even be traced to Autism, ADHD, and other learning disabilities because of this major influence that the gut environment has on the brain!

Fascinating right? And, it’s not surprising at all! This is why Hippocrates said, “All disease begins in the gut!” It’s time to nourish the gut as much as we can!